The Meaning of Nehemiah 2:6 Explained

Nehemiah 2:6

KJV: And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

YLT: And the king saith to me (and the queen is sitting near him), 'How long is thy journey? and when dost thou return?' and it is good before the king, and he sendeth me away, and I set to him a time.

Darby: And the king said to me the queen also sitting by him, For how long shall thy journey be, and when wilt thou return? And it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

ASV: And the king said unto me (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the king  said  unto me, (the queen  also sitting  by him,  ) For how long shall thy journey  be? and when wilt thou return?  So it pleased  the king  to send  me; and I set  him a time. 

What does Nehemiah 2:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Nehemiah 2:1-11 - A Patriot's Self-Sacrifice
The seventh month answers to our March or April, so that four months had passed since Nehemiah had set himself to special prayer. Between the king's second question and Nehemiah's answer, the simple-hearted cup-bearer found time to pray to the God of heaven. Then, with the assurance that God was with him, he did not scruple to ask great things: that he might be sent to the city of his fathers to build it, and that he might receive all the materials necessary for its construction. But he is careful to record that his requests were granted, not by the clemency of the king, but according to the good hand of God. Do we recognize that good hand enough? We get glimpses here into the inner workings of this man's heart. He felt that God had put His holy purpose there. He did not hesitate to confess this to the Jews and amid the opposition and scorn of their foes; he strengthened himself in his God, sure that He would not have brought him so far to put him to shame. Be sure you are on God's side, and nothing will be impossible to you. [source]

Chapter Summary: Nehemiah 2

1  Artaxerxes, understanding the cause of Nehemiah's sadness,
6  sends him with letters and commission to Jerusalem
9  Nehemiah, to the grief of the enemies, comes to Jerusalem
12  He views secretly the ruins of the walls
17  He incites the Jews to build

What do the individual words in Nehemiah 2:6 mean?

And said to me the king and the queen sitting beside him even to how long will be your journey and when will you return so it pleased accept the king and to send me and I set him a time
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ לִ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וְהַשֵּׁגַ֣ל ׀ יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת אֶצְל֗וֹ עַד־ מָתַ֛י ؟ יִהְיֶ֥ה מַֽהֲלָכֲךָ֖ וּמָתַ֣י ؟ תָּשׁ֑וּב וַיִּיטַ֤ב לִפְנֵֽי־ הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֔נִי וָֽאֶתְּנָ֥ה ל֖וֹ זְמָֽן

וַיֹּאמֶר֩  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לִ֨י  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וְהַשֵּׁגַ֣ל ׀  and  the  queen 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֵׁגַל  
Sense: consort, queen, (queen-)consort.
יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת  sitting 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
אֶצְל֗וֹ  beside  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵצֶל  
Sense: beside, by, near, nearness, joining, proximity subst.
עַד־  even  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
מָתַ֛י  how  long 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מָתַי  
Sense: when?.
؟ יִהְיֶ֥ה  will  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מַֽהֲלָכֲךָ֖  your  journey 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מַהֲלָךְ  
Sense: walk, journey, going, place to walk.
וּמָתַ֣י  and  when 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מָתַי  
Sense: when?.
؟ תָּשׁ֑וּב  will  you  return 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וַיִּיטַ֤ב  so  it  pleased 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
לִפְנֵֽי־  accept 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֔נִי  and  to  send  me 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
וָֽאֶתְּנָ֥ה  and  I  set 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
זְמָֽן  a  time 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: זְמָן  
Sense: a set time, appointed time, time.